The Break Up
by YanksLuver
Summary: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.
1. Chapter 1

**Title **: The Break-Up

**Author **: Steph  
**Rating **: PG  
**Pairing **: Robin/Patrick  
**Category **: Drama/Romance/bit of Humor

**Disclaimer **: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.  
**Spoilers **: Reference made to an upcoming spoiler. (The what we've been waiting for and where it happens)  
**Summary **: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.

**Note **: Thanks for the great feedback on the Epilogue of "Home Is Where the Heart Is." I am so glad you enjoyed it. It was fun to write! Anyway, onto the next one. I'm breaking my rule of posting a story before it's done. I've only written through most of the second part, but I know all of the scenes that I'm going to write. It's just a matter of writing them. It should end up being either 4 or 5 parts. Since the story is not done though, it might take a bit longer for parts to come out.

Anyway, this story is based on the premise for the upcoming Jennifer Aniston/Vince Vaughn movie of the same name. I thought it would be an interesting scenario to play out with Robin and Patrick. This first chapter takes you through the progression of their relationship and to the moment that will change everything. This is definitely a different story for me, but I thought it would be fun to write. So, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! Thanks! -Steph

**--- The Break-Up: Part 1/4 ---**

"You're sure?" Robin asked, as she leaned back against Patrick's chest and linked her fingers with his.

They were sitting in front of a fire in the cabin where they had first made love two months earlier. She sat between his legs and his arms were wrapped around her, a blanket the only thing covering their bare bodies.

He nodded, "I'm sure. I want to be with you. Only you."

She smiled and turned around to face him. "Can I ask what made you change your mind?"

"You," he said softly, meeting her eyes. "I was afraid of letting a woman get close. I didn't want to get hurt. But, despite my best efforts, you got closer than I even realized. When I'm with you, Robin, I don't want our time together to end. And when we're not together, I can't think of anything else but you. I can't wait until I see your face again. The truth is, I haven't been with another woman since before we almost made love the first time."

Robin's eyes widened. "You mean the Gwen thing? That time?"

He nodded. "I didn't sleep with Gwen."

"You made it seem like you did the next day."

"I wanted to make you jealous."

"Mission accomplished. Why didn't you sleep with her?"

He shrugged, meeting her eyes. "She walked in the door and I couldn't get you out of my head. I started talking about you and, two hours later, I was still talking. Gwen is a very good listener and a very understanding woman."

Robin shook her head in disbelief. "I never would have guessed that's what happened."

He smiled. "I've been yours for a long time already. I've been with you exclusively, Robin. You just didn't know it. Now I'm making it official."

She smiled. "And all of that flirting you've still been doing with the nurses?"

He grinned. "Well, I had to keep up my image."

She nodded and met his eyes. "This isn't going to be easy, Patrick. Being a part of a real relationship is hard. It takes work. You have to be willing to make the effort."

"I am," he said, his voice sincere.

She smiled, as he brought his lips to hers.

---

_- Four Months Later -_

"You can't do that!" Patrick said, as he gestured at her.

Robin stood in a bush a couple of yards away from the miniature golf course hole they were on. She had bent over to pick up her ball.

"Patrick, I can't hit it from here. It's in a bush."

He shrugged. "Miniature golf rules clearly state you have to hit from wherever it lands."

"What miniature golf rules? I was not provided with any rules."

"Those are just the rules." He flashed her a grin. "Next time, don't hit your ball into the bush."

She threw him a glare, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was distracted by you kissing me just as I was hitting the ball!"

His put his hands on his hips. "See, that's what separates the good miniature golfers from the great. The great don't let anything distract them."

She smiled. "And I'm guessing you're one of the great ones?"

He shrugged, a smirk on his face. "I don't like to brag." Robin scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. "But I'm kind of known as the Tiger Woods of miniature golf."

Robin nodded. "So nothing distracts you, huh?"

He bobbed his head. Robin smiled and proceeded to maneuver herself the best she could to hit her ball. She managed to get it back on the green and got it into the hole with three more strokes. Patrick put his ball down and got into position, his brow furrowing in concentration.

Robin watched him, admiring the way his tongue flicked at his bottom lip. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. And she couldn't imagine a time when she'd ever want to.

Her lips curved into a smile, her words emerging softly and taking her by surprise. "I love you."

Patrick's head snapped up at her, just as his club connected with the ball. His ball went flying over the fence and into the parking lot. He didn't notice.

Robin bit at her lip guiltily, as her cheeks filled with red.

Patrick's mouth hung open at her. "Did you just...You said you love me?" She nodded. He swallowed hard. "Because you've never said that before. That was the first time."

She nodded again. "I know."

He bobbed his head. "Were you just saying that to distract me?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I said it because I meant it. The distraction was just an added benefit."

He walked towards her, stopping right in front of her. He looked down at her, his gaze intense. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"You don't have to say it just because I did."

He shook his head, as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He whispered, "I'm not. I'm saying it because I mean it." He paused and then added huskily, "I love you, Robin."

He then brought his lips to hers. His tongue was just about to dive in, when they heard a throat clear behind them. They pulled apart and found an annoyed family of four glaring at them. They were apparently taking too long on the windmill hole.

Robin blushed and lowered her head. "Sorry, we were just moving on."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the next hole, as Patrick threw the family a charming grin over his shoulder. Their teenage daughter smiled at him, looking as if she wished Patrick would stay behind.

Robin set her ball up on the next hole, as Patrick went to the parking lot to find his ball. He returned a few minutes later, holding his ball.

She smiled at him. "See, that's what separates the good from the great. The great don't let things distract them."

"Funny," he said as he put his ball down and hit it.

"So, whose place do you want to stay at tonight?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied, his attention focused on getting his ball in the hole on the second stroke.

"Well, we stayed at yours last night."

They hadn't spent a night apart in the last four months. They would just bounce back and forth between his room at the MetroCourt and her apartment.

He threw his arms up as he made the shot. He then gestured for her to take her turn. He stood back, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her.

He'd realized something months ago. He loved watching her. It didn't matter what she was doing. Completing paperwork at the hospital, brushing her teeth, or sleeping. That was his favorite. He loved watching her sleep. He'd gotten so used to having her beside him, something he never expected, given his history. He loved waking up to her face and falling asleep beside her. He couldn't imagine it ever being any other way.

"Let's live together," he said suddenly, his eyes focused on her figure.

Robin was in mid-swing. Her club froze in the air, as she turned to look at him, her mouth dropping open. He walked over to her and smiled, taking the club from her hands, letting it fall to the ground, and replacing it with his hands. He looked into her eyes, waiting for a response.

She swallowed hard. "Were you just trying to distract me again?"

He grinned, "No, that was just an added benefit."

She arched her brow. "You really want to do this?"

He nodded. "We're practically living together already anyway. We haven't spent a night apart in four months."

Her eyes narrowed. "So is this just because it makes sense or is it something you really want?"

Patrick lowered his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her so that he nearly lifted her off the ground.

He pulled back, leaving her breathless. "What do you think?"

She smiled. "I think you have this idea in your head that you're going to get even more sex if we're living together."

He grinned, flashing his dimple. "Now that would certainly be an added benefit."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, if that's an added benefit, then what would be your main reason for wanting to live together?"

He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek, his eyes capturing hers. "Because then I'd know for sure that I'd be waking up to you every morning and falling asleep beside you every night."

Robin blinked back tears. He smiled. "Have I convinced you yet?"

She nodded, bringing her lips back to his. However, they were again interrupted by a throat clearing before the kiss could go much farther. Patrick pulled back and looked at the family.

"I think you guys are going a little too fast on those holes. Savor the experience. Spend some quality family time together."

Robin laughed, but was soon silenced by Patrick's mouth covering hers again. She was taken by surprise and more than a little embarrassed that they were doing this in front of a family of four, as well as stopping them from moving onto their next hole. But by the time Patrick's fingers threaded through her hair, any thoughts that didn't involve the gorgeous man kissing her, fell away.

---

_- One Month Later -_

"It's perfect," Robin said, as she stood in front of the picture window looking out at the view.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "So you think this is the one then?"

She nodded. "It's the one."

They had looked at countless condos. This was the first one that interested either one of them. They knew it was perfect the moment they saw it. It had two floors with two bedrooms, a balcony, one and a half baths, and a fireplace. It was also a great deal.

She turned around in his arms and met his eyes. "You're sure about this, right? Because it's completely possible that you were kidding when you said let's live together and when I took you seriously, you just went along with it. If so, it's time to come clean."

He smiled and shook his head. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Her expression didn't soften. "I'm serious, Patrick. Living together is a big step. It's going to change our relationship. It has to."

"Do I get to wake up to your face every morning?" he asked. A smile pulled at her lips, but she didn't say anything. "And do I get to fall asleep beside you every night?"

She couldn't help the smile that had overtaken her lips, but still managed to reply, "Yes, but-..."

"Then that's all that matters. Everything else we'll make work. We'll figure it out."

She slowly nodded. "Okay."

---

_- One Month Later -_

Patrick lit the last candle just as Robin walked in the door. A smile brightened her countenance as she noticed the beautifully set table and the beautiful man standing beside it, flashing a dimpled grin at her. He always managed to look at her like she was the only woman on earth.

"You cooked?" she said, as she dropped her purse on the couch and walked towards him.

He smiled. "I cooked."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her hands on the sides of his face to pull his lips down to meet hers. "I knew there was a reason I love you."

"Just one?"

"Okay, maybe two."

"Careful, you're going to hurt my ego."

"It could stand a hit or two," she replied playfully. "So, what did you cook?"

He moved into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with a covered platter. He placed it down on the table and gestured for her to sit. She did and he followed suit. He then lifted up the cover.

Robin laughed, her eyes twinkling at what she found. "Corndogs?"

"Yup."

"Did you actually make these?"

"I hand-dipped them myself."

"I'm impressed."

Robin reached out to take a corndog and he did the same. They ate in a comfortable silence for a long time, until she broke it.

"This is nice," she said.

"Thank you."

She shook her head, her voice emerging softly, "No, I meant having someone to come home to."

He smiled, meeting her eyes. "Yeah, it is."

---

_- Six Months Later -_

Robin's head lay on top of Patrick's bare chest, her silky hair spread out across his skin like a halo. She ran her fingers up and down his arm absentmindedly. The fingertips of his right hand trailed down the soft skin of her back.

"Did you ever imagine it could be this good?" she asked softly.

"The sex? Of course."

She gently swatted his arm. "No, I mean living together."

He smiled. "No, this is better than I could have ever imagined."

Her eyes sparkled from the comment. "Well, it's certainly not perfect. There are some things you do that drive me crazy."

"I assume you mean in a bad way, as opposed to how I was driving you crazy twenty minutes ago."

"Yes, in a bad way," she said with a grin.

"Care to share?"

"Well, you're a slob, for one. You don't know how to clean up after yourself. I had no idea. Your room at the MetroCourt was always so neat."

"It had maid service, Robin."

"Of course. That explains it."

"Well, you're no picnic either," he said good-naturedly.

"What's wrong with living with me?"

"You're a neat freak. Everything has to be just so. You like to control things."

She smiled, not bothering to defend herself and choosing to add another annoyance of his. "I can't stand how you have to sleep with the television on. It takes me forever to fall asleep."

She then paused for a long moment and found his hand, linking her fingers with his. She tilted her head up to look at him. "But none of that matters at the end of the day because I get to be here with you, like this. And there's no place on earth I'd rather be."

He grinned, stroking her hair. "Good, because I have no intention of letting you go."

Robin smiled, as she moved herself into a sitting position. She then climbed on top of him, straddling his hips with her legs. She bent down and brought her lips to his, as he entwined his fingers into her hair.

---

_- Four Months Later -_

Robin looked up from her reading as Patrick came in the door. "Hi. You're home late. I thought you said your shift ended at eight. It's after eleven."

He shrugged, as he walked to the couch and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I had a lot of paperwork to catch up on."

"You could have done that here."

"It was easier to just do it there," he replied, as he walked into the kitchen.

She followed him into the kitchen, looking on as he peered into the refrigerator.

"You've been working late a lot lately."

"You know how crazy it's been at the hospital," he said, as he pulled a beer out and opened it up. He took a long drink.

"Yeah, I know, it just feels like we never see each other anymore, outside of work that is."

He moved back to the refrigerator and pulled out a loaf of bread and some sliced turkey.

"Hopefully, things will slow down soon."

She nodded. "Hopefully." She then added softly, "I just...I miss you, that's all."

He opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut. Robin eyed him for a long moment, before turning on her heel and leaving.

---

_- Three Months Later -_

"They seemed really happy," Robin said, as she turned to Patrick. His eyes were focused on the road. "Your cousin, Lisa, looked beautiful. I loved her dress."

"Yeah," he replied flatly.

Her brow furrowed at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"Are you sure that's all? You haven't seemed like yourself all night."

"I've just been really busy at work. I'm just stressed and tired."

"You barely said a word all night. You didn't want to dance. And this is the first time you've spoken to me during our ride home."

He rubbed at his face. "I'm exhausted, Robin, that's all. You know what it's been like at the hospital."

"Yes, I do. But you don't see me shutting you out completely," she snapped.

He glanced at her. "That's not what I'm doing."

"We are never going to make it if you don't talk to me, Patrick," she said.

"There's nothing to say."

"That's not true. I need you to talk to me."

He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "Look, I'm exhausted and if you don't stop pushing, I may say something I'll regret later."

She shook her head, unable to just let it go at that. "Something hasn't been right with you, with us, for a while now."

He licked at his lips but didn't reply. She blinked back sudden tears, her voice emerging softly. "Is there someone else? Is that what this is about?"

His head snapped in her direction, hurt immediately appearing in his eyes and evident in his voice, "How could you even ask me that?"

"What do you expect me to think? You've been coming home late, you've been distant, you won't talk to me."

"I have been completely faithful to you, Robin. I haven't even thought about another woman since that first time we almost made love. I haven't wanted to. I know I'm new at this relationship stuff and, given my history, I could understand how you could have doubted me when we first got together, but now? After all this time, after everything we've been through?"

She wiped at a tear streaming down her face. "Then what, Patrick? What is it? I feel like I'm losing you and I don't know what to do."

"You're not losing me," he said softly, but offered nothing else, as he refocused his gaze on the road.

Robin moved her eyes to her hands.

---

_- Two Months Later -_

Robin walked in the door, her eyes widening at Patrick, who was sitting on the couch watching television in his sweats.

"Why aren't you dressed? I told you I was going to come home to change quickly and then we had to go. Lisa is expecting us in half an hour."

"I'm not going," he said, as he flipped through the channels, eyes focused on the screen.

She came to stand in front of the television and turned it off. He sighed and moved his eyes to her face.

"What do you mean you're not going? She's your cousin, Patrick. It's a house warming party for her."

"I just don't feel like it. I'm really ti-..."

"Tired, I know. Funny, before we got together you never seemed to be tired. You seemed to have an endless amount of energy after work. And in the beginning of our relationship and when we first started living together, those words never came out of your mouth. Now that's all you say."

He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "What do you want from me?"

"How about the truth, Patrick? Let's start with that."

"Fine," he said, meeting her gaze. "I really don't feel like being around Lisa and her new husband."

"Peter? What's wrong with Peter?" she asked, brow creasing in confusion.

"Nothing, it's them together. All lovey-dovey. They're turning into one of those couples."

"What couples? What are you talking about?"

"You know, those married couples who try to force every couple they know into marriage."

Robin's eyes widened. "So that's what this is about? You think they're going to start pressuring you into marrying me?"

He lowered his eyes. "Well, we're at that point in our relationship, aren't we?"

Robin nodded, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. "That explains so much. How you started avoiding me at work and at home. How you just stopped talking to me. How you've barely touched me in the last few months. You've been pulling away because you believe I'm starting to think marriage."

Patrick swallowed hard and met her eyes. "Well, aren't you?" Robin moved her gaze to the ground and shifted her feet. He nodded. "See? I was right."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

Robin moved to the couch and sat down next to him. She looked directly into his eyes. "So maybe I am. You don't think I deserve that? Yes, I want to marry you, Patrick. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I'm sorry if that scares you, but it's the truth."

He licked at his lips. "Robin, you know I want to be with you. But why do things have to change? We have a good thing going, at least we did before I started screwing it up. But we can get it back. I just don't see why we need a piece of paper to tell us we should be together."

"It's more than a piece of paper to me. It's a real commitment. It says that we want to spend the rest of our lives together and we're willing to declare that in front of our friends and our family."

He shook his head. "Marriage can ruin even the best relationships, Robin. I've seen it happen a thousand times. A couple is happy together for years, in some cases. Maybe they're even living together and doing just fine. Then they decide to get married and things change. Everything falls apart."

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"Why do you want to risk it?"

"I want to be married, Patrick. I want to have a family. I can't have children with someone I can't be sure is committed to me, especially with the special considerations I'd have to think about since I'm HIV positive."

Patrick shook his head slowly. "Robin, I don't want to have kids."

Robin's eyes widened. "What?"

"I told you that. With everything that happened with my father, it's just not something I want."

"But you patched things up with Noah."

"It's still not something I want. I don't think I'd be any good at being a father."

"You're scared and you're underestimating yourself. You'd be a wonderful father."

"I can't see it. Look at what happened between me and my father. I would hate to go through something like that with a kid of my own. It would tear me apart. I told you all of this before we even got together."

"I know, but that was a long time ago. I thought you would change your mind in time. I guess I thought you had changed your mind. Why didn't you mention this every time I talked about wanting to be a mother?"

"I never said anything at all," he replied.

"I guess that should have been my clue," she said softly.

Robin sighed and sank down into the couch. She slowly turned to look at him and whispered, "Where do we go from here then?"

He brought his hand up and caressed her cheek, "I want to be with you. That hasn't changed."

She squeezed her eyes closed, tears stinging her eyes. "But I want more."

Patrick lowered his eyes. "I can't give you more. Not right now."

She slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze. She swallowed hard, her throat so tight she could barely choke out the words. "Then I guess it's over."

Patrick felt his breath catch in his chest. "Robin, no. It doesn't have to be over."

Her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. "I can't go on like this. We want different things. Things are only going to get worse between us now that it's out in the open. We could pretend that nothing's changed, but we'd end up resenting each other and one of us wouldn't be getting what we want."

He took a deep breath and took her hands in his. "But this way neither one of us gets what we want. All I want is to be with you and, when it comes right down to it, that's all you want to."

"No, that's not true, Patrick. I want more than that. I can't pretend that I don't. It's not fair to me and, in the long run, it wouldn't be fair to you. And we wouldn't make it."

Patrick blinked back tears, as he held onto her hands for dear life. "It can't be over," he managed to say weakly.

She brought her hand up and cupped his cheek. She then brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. Robin pulled back and leaned her forehead against his, their eyes remaining closed.

"I will always love you," she whispered.

She then moved to get up, but he wouldn't let go of her hand. He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Please, don't do this."

Robin roughly wiped at the tears now streaming down her face with the back of her hand. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be, Patrick. Than it already is."

He slowly released his hold on her hand and she slipped it free from him. She offered him one last look, before walking up the stairs. Patrick bowed his head and threaded his fingers through his hair, as a tear slipped down his cheek.

---

_- One Week Later -_

Robin looked at Patrick over her newspaper. "We have to talk about this at some point. It's been a week. I can't go on like this. One of us needs to move out."

He licked at his lips. "It's not going to be me."

"And why not?"

"Because I'm not the one who wanted to break up."

Robin shook her head. "That's not fair and you know it. You think I wanted this?"

"I think you're the one who made it happen, so you should be the one to leave."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I have just as much right to this condo as you do, maybe more. Everything in this place is pretty much mine. You came from a furnished apartment in Manhattan to the MetroCourt to here. You came with pretty much just your clothes. This place should be mine."

"Well, that's a solid argument, except it doesn't take into consideration that my name's on the lease, just like yours."

"Patrick, I'll never find something this nice at such a great price. I'm not going to just give it up."

He tilted his head. "Then I guess we have a problem."

"I guess we do."

He looked at her for a long moment, his heart breaking at the distance between them now. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch her.

She folded her newspaper and stood up. "I'll see you at work."

He grabbed her hand, stopping her movement. She looked down at him.

"Look, it's obvious that neither one of us is going to be the bigger person here and give up this place. I propose a compromise."

She arched an eyebrow. "A compromise?"

"We both keep living here."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I don't see any other choice. We both want the place. Either one of us leaves, we take it to court, or we stay where we are."

"How could that possibly work, Patrick? It's insane."

"We can work out our schedules at the hospital so that they don't coincide. Our schedules are hectic. We're not home much as it is. And when we are, we'll probably be sleeping. We won't even notice the other one still lives here."

Robin shook her head. "I just don't see how it could work."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Robin sighed. "No. Unfortunately, we're both stubborn as hell and unwilling to make the sacrifice. So I guess this will have to do for now. That is, until one of us decides to be the bigger person or just can't take it anymore, whichever comes first."

Patrick nodded, his eyes scanning her face. He wondered how this would ever work. How could they possibly continue living with each other without actually being together. Every part of him still wanted her and he knew she felt the same about him. They hadn't fallen out of love, far from it. They'd just come to an impasse.

Robin met his eyes. "I'll get to work on my schedule at the hospital." She then turned on her heel and left.

Patrick watched her until she disappeared from view.

**------**

**Part 2 coming soon...**

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought! -Steph


	2. Chapter 2

**Title **: The Break-Up

**Author **: Steph  
**Rating **: PG  
**Pairing **: Robin/Patrick  
**Category **: Drama/Romance/bit of Humor

**Disclaimer **: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.  
**Spoilers **: Reference made to an upcoming spoiler. (The what we've been waiting for and where it happens)  
**Summary **: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.

**Note **: Thanks for the feedback on the first part. I am so glad you enjoyed it! Here's the second. This will probably end up being 5 parts, but I'm just leaving it at 4 for now. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. Thanks! -Steph

**--- The Break Up:Part 2/4 ---**

Robin stared up at the ceiling, as she had for the last three hours. Her eye were red and swollen, her cheeks stained from dried tears. Not surprisingly, he had never come to bed. She assumed he was staying in the spare bedroom.

She squeezed her eyes shut, the broken look on his face as she ended their relationship eating her up inside. She slowly turned her head and opened her eyes, her gaze landing on Patrick's side of the bed. The ramifications of what she had done were just beginning to hit her. She would never wake up to his face or fall asleep in his arms again.

They hadn't spent a night apart since the one at the cabin when Patrick told her he wanted to be with only her. Even when he was pulling away, they never spent one night away from each other. It had been nearly two years. One year and nine months, to be exact.

A tear slipped down Robin's face as she realized that his empty side of the bed perfectly mirrored out she felt inside. Empty. Empty without him.

She reached out and grabbed his pillow, holding it close to her body and bringing it up to her nose. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent.

---

Patrick stared blankly at the images flashing across the television screen. He had turned on the television three hours ago, but he couldn't tell you a thing about what had been on. He hadn't heard a word or processed anything. He could only see her face running through his mind. He could only hear her voice telling him it was over.

He dreaded facing a morning without her. He couldn't even remember what it was like not to wake up to her or fall asleep beside her. Patrick never would have expected to feel this way. If you asked him two years ago, if that was possible, he would have laughed. But being with Robin had changed everything. Before her, he had never once woken up beside a woman. If they were at her place, he would make sure to leave as soon as she fell asleep. At his, it was more difficult, but he made sure to wake up before she did and occupy himself in the bathroom. Waking up next to someone just always felt too intimate to him. And, as he learned with Robin, it was.

Even when he was struggling with his fears about marriage and pushing her away, he couldn't bear to spend a night away from her. He still needed to have her close. He still needed to smell the perfume of her hair or watch her eyelids flutter as she slept.

He wondered how he would ever go back now.

---

Lucky nearly spit his soda out, his eyes widening at his friend. "You're what?"

After Lucky realized that Patrick really only had eyes for one woman, they had slowly built a strong friendship.

Patrick took a bite out of his sandwich, as he glanced around Kelly's. "You heard me."

He shook his head. "Yes, but I can't believe what I heard. You two can't keep living together."

"Well, I'm not willing to give up the place and neither is she. That's why I suggested it."

Lucky raised his brow. "I think you're not willing to give her up. I think that's why you suggested it."

Patrick lowered his eyes to his plate. "I know we're over."

"It doesn't matter what you know. You're still in love with her. You don't want to let her go. This is your way of holding on to her."

Patrick shook his head, but didn't deny it.

Lucky leaned forward. "What are you going to do when she starts dating again and she brings some guy home?"

Patrick's jaw tightened. "Robin wouldn't do that. She would go to the guy's place."

"What, did you guys come up with some rules or guidelines?"

Patrick shook his head. "No, I guess it's just an unspoken thing."

Lucky nodded. "Right. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What are you going to do when you start dating again and the woman wants to know why she's never seen your place."

Patrick pushed a french fry around his plate. "That's not going to happen."

Lucky's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because I don't plan on seeing any woman more than once."

Lucky sighed. "Back to your old ways, I see."

"I wanted to be with Robin, so I gave the serious relationship thing a try. And I got burned just like I feared I would. If I couldn't make it work with Robin, then I'll never be able to make it work with another woman."

"So that's it then? This is how you're going to be for the rest of your life?"

Patrick let out a breath. "I had my chance. I blew it."

---

Elizabeth's mouth fell open and she dropped her pen onto the counter. "You're what?"

"It wasn't my idea," Robin said with a shake of her head.

"But you're going along with it. Have you lost your mind?"

Robin shrugged. "I love that condo. It's exactly what I want and it was a great deal. I'm not about to give it up."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. This has nothing to do with that condo. You could find any number of great places for reasonable prices in Port Charles. This is about Patrick. You don't want to let him go."

"I think you're forgetting that I'm the one who decided to end it."

"And I think you're forgetting that you're still in love with him."

Robin lowered her eyes back down to her patient's chart. "It doesn't matter how I feel. We want different things right now. We're ready for different things."

"So give him a little more time, Robin. He may change his mind about marriage and having kids. He's just scared."

"How long am I supposed to wait, Elizabeth? He didn't sound like he was going to change his mind anytime soon."

"But you want to be with him. You want to spend the rest of your life with him. You love him. That's gotta count for something."

Robin smiled bitterly. "Well, I guess the song was right. Sometimes love just ain't enough."

"So what then? You're just going to try to forget about Patrick, push your feelings for him aside? While you're still living together, no less?"

"We'll barely see each other."

"You'll see each other enough. And what if he brings another woman home? How are you going to deal with that?"

Robin swallowed hard. "He won't do that. It's an unwritten rule between us."

Elizabeth nodded, unconvinced. "And what about you? You're just going to go look for some consolation prize? Settle for someone you don't love, but who's at least ready for marriage and wants kids."

Robin's lips turned downward. "I'll get over Patrick eventually."

Elizabeth smiled gently and placed her hand over Robin's. "You don't get over that kind of love, Robin. I should know. I never did. That's why I found my way back and I married my Patrick."

Robin took a deep breath and then let it out. "Well, I don't have a choice. I'm not going to give up or delay any longer the dreams I've had since I was a little girl."

"Even if it means giving up the only man you want to share those dreams with?" Elizabeth asked softly.

Robin didn't answer the question. She returned her eyes to her patient's chart.

---

Robin and Patrick stood in the bedroom they once shared, glaring at each other. Robin's arms were crossed over her chest and his hands were planted on his hips.

"I don't understand why you're fighting me on this. You've been sleeping in the spare bedroom for two weeks already," Robin argued.

"Yes, because I figured that night was difficult enough without having a discussion about sleeping arrangements. That didn't mean I was forfeiting the room."

Robin sighed. "I deserve this room."

"How do you figure?"

"It's bigger and I have more things than you do. Everything in this room came from my apartment."

"So?"

"So, it makes sense that I should keep it. Plus, you've moved most of your clothes into the spare bedroom anyway."

He grinned. "That's the great thing about clothes. They're portable."

She gritted her teeth. "You're just doing this to annoy me. You don't care about this room. It's just a bedroom."

He lowered his eyes. "Maybe to you. It's more than that to me."

Robin's brow furrowed at him. "What are you talking about?"

He brought his eyes to hers. "It's just...There are a lot of memories in this room for me. I thought there were for you too, but I guess I was wrong."

Robin's expression didn't soften. "I assume you're talking about sex."

Patrick's eyes flashed with hurt. "It holds a lot more than that."

Robin's face softened, as she scanned his face. She didn't expect this reaction from him at all.

She smiled weakly, trying to break the tension. "Remember when we first moved in here? We tried to move that bureau in and we both got stuck in the doorway."

A smile pulled at Patrick's lips. "I remember. We had to use my cell to call your Uncle Mac to free us."

Her eyes met his. "Or that time you tried to surprise me by having a romantic evening and lighting candles all over the room. But I got home late and you fell asleep. One of the candles fell over and lit the curtains on fire."

Patrick shook his head at the memory. "Thank God I'm a light sleeper."

Their eyes held for a moment, as they thought of the countless nights they'd spent making love or simply falling asleep in each other's arms in this room.

Robin lowered his gaze to the ground. "You're right. It's more than a bedroom."

"I want you to have it," he said softly.

Robin looked up at him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I just do."

Then he turned on his heel and left the room. Robin watched him go, before sinking down onto the bed.

---

Robin got out of bed, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. She walked to the kitchen, her eyes barely open. She had just crossed the threshold when her body collided with Patrick's chest. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her to steady her. Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard, as she raised her head to look at him.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said sheepishly.

He released his hold on her and took a step back. "Don't worry about it. I was just leaving for work. Have a good day."

She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. He moved into the living room. Robin rubbed at her forehead and shook her head. She then glanced at the empty coffee pot on the counter, her eyes narrowing.

"Patrick!" she called.

He reappeared in the doorway a moment later. "What?"

"You didn't make coffee?"

"No, I did. I made enough for two cups."

Her jaw tensed. "You mean enough for just you."

Their rule had always been that the first person up in the morning would make the coffee. And they had always made plenty for both of them.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, yeah."

"How considerate."

He took a step towards her. "Maybe I misunderstood our little arrangement. We are simply sharing a living space. We are not living together. We don't do things for each other anymore."

Hurt flashed across her eyes at his tone. She hadn't realized the little things she'd taken for granted during their time living together. It wasn't uncommon for him to bring her cup of coffee to her, as a way of enticing her out of bed.

She swallowed hard and looked him in the eye. "Fine. Then I sure hope you didn't use the coffee I bought to make your precious two cups."

He raised his brow. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, if we don't do things for each other anymore, then we're not going to share things, like food and beverages. You'll buy what you want and I'll buy what I want. You'll use what you buy and I'll use what I buy."

He smirked at her. "Should we put our names on the items we buy? You could use your label maker."

"You've always hated my label maker," she said.

"That's because you label everything. Like I couldn't figure out which one is the television remote control."

She groaned and moved to the pantry, as he followed behind her. "You can have the top two shelves. I'll take the bottom two."

"I get it. So you can reach," he muttered.

She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. ''I heard that."

"Apparently," he choked out.

She moved to the refrigerator and opened it. He followed, holding onto his stomach.

She gestured. "Same thing. You take the top two, I'll take the bottom."

He straightened and offered her a slight grin. "Just so we're clear, does this Yours and Mine stuff extend to the living areas? I mean, am I going to come home one day and find masking tape dividing each room?"

She raised a brow. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things go."

Patrick nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

"Have a great day," he threw over his shoulder, his tone insincere.

---

Three days later, Patrick padded to the bathroom, his hair sticking up in all directions and his eyes nothing but slits. He turned the doorknob and opened the door, his eyes widening at Robin who stood in the middle of the room, nude. She had just stepped out of the shower.

"Patrick!" she screamed, as she grabbed for her towel, haphazardly wrapping it around her.

His mouth dropped open, but he didn't make a move to leave. He was rooted to his spot. Three weeks ago, neither one of them would have even reacted to the other walking in on them while unclothed. But a lot had changed in three weeks.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"The door was closed! You should have knocked."

"I didn't even think. I'm sorry."

She waved her hands at him. "Well, don't just stand there. Go!"

He nodded in embarrassment, as he backpedaled out of the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and leaned up against it. He squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand through his hair.

God, he missed her so much. Seeing her like that again brought back so many memories. They had spent countless nights wrapped up in each other, their bodies entwined. He could still feel her skin on his. She had the softest skin. He would spend hours just running his fingertips across it. He missed the feel of her. He missed her scent lingering on him after they made love.

His thoughts moved to the shower. How much time had they spent in that shower together? They would often surprise each other in the morning and slip in. On those mornings, they were always late for work. Patrick could still see her hair plastered to her slick skin, as he pinned her against the tile with his body and ravaged her with his lips.

He swallowed hard and shook free from the memories. Suddenly, he heard a click and the door dropped out from behind him. He nearly fell at her feet, but managed to catch himself before he did.

She was now in a robe, looking at him curiously. "There's a bathroom downstairs, you know."

"But there's only a shower up here," he countered.

She shrugged and tried to get past him, but he didn't make a move. "Excuse me."

He nodded nervously and stepped aside. "Yeah, sorry."

She brushed past him. His eyes trailed after her down the hall. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and entered the bathroom.

---

Robin walked in the door, exhausted from work. She hung up her coat and purse in the closet with a sigh. Patrick walked down the stairs a moment later, his eyes landing on her figure. He was on his way to work.

"Hi," he greeted her.

"Hey," she said, as she rubbed at her stiff neck.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm just exhausted."

Patrick nodded and moved to the closet to get his jacket. Robin walked down the hall into the kitchen. Patrick opened the front door to leave and had one foot out the door when he heard her.

"Patrick!"

He closed his eyes, sighed, and walked back inside. He headed down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"What? You're going to make me late."

She turned to look at him, her eyes boring holes into his head. She gestured to the sink full of dishes. "What are these?"

His brow furrowed. "I want to say dirty dishes but I feel like it's too obvious an answer."

"There was nothing in this sink when I left this morning. What did you do?"

"Again, it sounds like a trick a question. Uh, I ate. You know, to sustain life. You would think as a doctor you would know that. But you miss one day of med school..."

"How much did you eat?"

"Don't worry, I only ate food labeled with my name."

"And why didn't you clean up after yourself?"

He shrugged. "I'll do it when I get home from work."

"You mean eight hours from now, at least? The food will be crusted on these dishes by then."

"It's not your problem, Robin. It's my mess."

"You know dirty dishes in the sink drives me crazy. You think it'll drive me so crazy that I'll just clean up after you, like I stupidly did when we were together."

He smiled. "Seriously, you're giving me too much credit here. I ate the food, put the plates in the sink, and figured I'd wash them later. You really didn't enter my mind."

She threw her hands up in the air. "I can't stand this, Patrick. You leave dirty dishes in the sink, your clothes are everywhere, you don't put things back where you found them. I could deal with it when we were together, but we're not anymore. I'm not your mother and I'm not your maid. You need to act like an adult and pick up after yourself."

Patrick tilted his head, a grin upon his lips. "Actually, I don't."

"Excuse me?"

"This is my home, just as much as it is yours. And if I choose to live like this, then that's how I choose to live. I don't tell you how to live."

"Look, you can't act like what you do doesn't affect me. It does."

He shrugged. "Not my problem."

She gritted her teeth. "Oh, I'll make it your problem."

"I'm pretty sure that was an empty threat."

"You want to bet?"

Patrick offered her a grin, but didn't respond. He turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

Robin looked at the sink and groaned.

---

Hours later, Patrick entered the condo. He rubbed at his face tiredly and slowly walked up the stairs. He kicked off his shoes as he entered his room and then collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to remove his clothes. He was so tired it took him a moment to realize something wasn't right. He moved around a bit, wincing as something jammed into his back. He sat up and pulled back the covers. His eyes widened at what he found.

"Robin!"

Robin appeared a moment later, leaning against the doorframe, smiling, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You bellowed?"

He gestured to the dirty dishes that were laying on top of his sheets.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She shrugged. "They're your dirty dishes. I just left them there for whenever you decide you're ready to wash them. You see, I needed the sink to wash my own dishes."

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe you did this."

"See? What we do does affect the other person," she said sweetly.

He glared at her. "I didn't do purposely do anything to you, Robin."

She tilted her head. "Really? I'm not sure. I'm not sure that you have been acting like this just to drive me out of this place. I think you're worse than you were when we were still together. Maybe this is all a part of your plan to drive me away."

Patrick's eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest. Lucky had been right. Whether or not he realized it at the time, he had only suggested they continued living together because he didn't want to let her go. Now she thought he was trying to drive her away. It scared him to death to think that his behavior could drive her away. As hard as it was living together, but not being with her, he couldn't imagine not having her there at all.

Robin waited for him to say something. When he didn't, she shook her head and turned around, disappearing down the hall.

---

Robin slowly stirred, as the sunlight peaked through the curtains and beckoned her to welcome a new day. She stretched her arms out and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, then twitched her nose as she smelled something. She turned her head and looked at her nightstand. Her eyes widened at what she found. On top of her nightstand, sat a steaming cup of coffee. For a moment, she was back before everything changed between them. When thoughtful gestures like this would tell her how much he loved her without him having to say a word.

But she soon recalled the events of the last few weeks and of last night, in particular. Her brow furrowed, as she sat up and wrapped her hands around the mug. She brought it to her nose and sniffed, but didn't bring it to her lips. She stood up and walked out of the bedroom, down the hallway and the stairs, and into the kitchen. She found Patrick sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his own cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. He lifted his eyes to her when she entered.

She held the mug up. "I'd say thank you for the thoughtful gesture, but I'm not entirely certain it's not laced with some sort of poison. You know, as payback for last night."

He offered her a smile and shook his head. "The coffee is fine."

She nodded. "Well, thank you then." She took a seat across from him. "I have to say I'm a little surprised though. I thought you were furious with me."

"I was," he said, eyes focused on his newspaper.

"And now?"

He looked up at her. "And now I realize that things could get really ugly between us if we let it. I don't think either of us wants that. I'll try to make more of an effort from now on."

Patrick conveniently left out any part about deciding to change so that he wouldn't risk losing her altogether.

Robin's brow creased. "Wow."

"Wow what?"

"You're serious."

"Of course I'm serious."

"I'm sorry, it's just such a mature response from you. I'm surprised."

He picked up his mug and brought it over to the sink, immediately washing it, and placing it in the rack. He then turned to her and smiled.

"I'm full of surprises," he said with a grin and then walked out of the kitchen.

"You're full of something," she muttered to herself with a smile.

**-----------------------------------  
Part 3 coming soon... **  
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought! -Steph


	3. Chapter 3

**Title **: The Break-Up

**Author **: Steph  
**Rating **: PG  
**Pairing **: Robin/Patrick  
**Category **: Drama/Romance/bit of Humor

**Disclaimer **: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.  
**Spoilers **: Reference made to an upcoming spoiler. (The what we've been waiting for and where it happens)  
**Summary **: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.

**Note **: Thanks for the feedback on the second part. I am so glad you enjoyed it! Here's the third. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. Thanks! –Steph

**--- The Break-Up:Part 3/5 ---**

It had been three weeks since Patrick had vowed to make more of an effort around the house and he had been true to his word. They still didn't see each other much. They would see each other in the morning, pass each other on their way to or from work and then at night. The nights were the hardest. Neither one had started dating yet and they didn't feel up to going out at all. So they mostly stayed at home. Robin would read or watch television in her bedroom. Patrick would do the same in his.

Robin flipped through the channels on her television, sighing at the fuzzy picture that kept greeting her. There was a show she had been looking forward to for weeks. She sighed and climbed out of bed, not bothering to cover her tank top and lounge pants with a robe. She walked downstairs and into the living room, surprised to find Patrick sitting on the couch, eyes glued to the television.

"Oh," Robin said, "I didn't realize you were down here."

Patrick moved his eyes to her figure, his gaze scanning her body.

"I wanted to watch a show. The television in the spare room doesn't get the channel."

Robin nodded. "There was a show I wanted to watch, too, but something must be wrong with my cable. None of the channels are coming in."

He bobbed his head and moved his attention back to the television. She took a few steps closer to him. "So what is it you wanted to watch?"

"A documentary on the Titanic. I always like when the re-enactment actors say 'Iceberg, straight ahead,'" he said with a dimpled smile.

Robin's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, that's what I wanted to watch, too."

Patrick looked up at her. He hesitated a moment, licking at his lips. He gestured to the space on the couch beside him. "You're more than welcome to join me."

Robin stood frozen to her spot, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. They hadn't spent more than a few minutes in each other's presence for nearly two months. Robin was sure this was the only thing that was keeping them from falling back into each other's arms. They didn't need to acknowledge it to know that they still wanted one another just as much as they always had. They need only look the other in the eye to know that the love and passion was still very much present.

Robin slowly walked the few steps to the couch and sat down next to him, careful to put as much distance between them as possible.

"I didn't know you were interested in the Titanic," Robin said, eyes focused on the screen.

He shrugged. "I thought the movie was hilarious."

A smile pulled at Robin's lips, as she turned to look at him. "And here I was thinking it was a tragic love story."

"I die laughing every time Rose won't take turns floating on that door or whatever."

"I'm pretty sure that wasn't supposed to be funny."

"It was funny to me."

Robin laughed and Patrick found himself staring at her. She realized his eyes were on her and turned to look at him.

"What?"

He shook his head, his voice emerging softly. "Nothing. I just really missed hearing your laugh, that's all."

The look in Patrick's eyes was so intense, she couldn't swallow. She finally forced her gaze down to her hands. She took a deep breath and tried to change the subject.

"Do you remember the first movie we saw together? I consider it our first real date because it involved more than just eating and making out."

"Actually, we never really did much eating." He smiled, his voice soft and his eyes focused on her lips. "Although we obviously have very different definitions of what constitutes a date."

Robin swallowed hard, as she realized her attempt to change the subject had failed miserably.

His smile widened, as he noticed her discomfort. "Sure, I remember. We went to see the 'Da Vinci Code'. Remember those teenage girls in front of us? There was that one girl whose friends had convinced her that it was a silent movie. She complained through all of the previews that she didn't like silent movies and couldn't read lips."

Robin laughed at the memory. "Didn't you throw a Raisinet in her hair?"

Patrick grinned. "Not my most mature moment, but, in my defense, once she realized the movie wasn't silent she wouldn't shut up. She gave play-by-play through the whole thing, even though I'm pretty sure she didn't understand a word." Patrick's grin faded, his voice lowering to a whisper. "Do you remember that night?"

Robin nodded slowly. That was night they had first made love. They had gone to the movie and then had a moonlit picnic in the woods. The car had broken down on the way back and they had gotten caught in the rain, but none of it mattered by the time they made it to the cabin. They couldn't get enough of each other.

"I'll never forget that night," she replied softly.

Patrick reached up and touched her face. Robin squeezed her eyes closed and leaned her cheek into the warmth of his palm. It felt so good to have him touch her again.

A moment later, her eyes flew open and she shook her head, as she covered his hand with hers and slowly removed it.

"Don't," she whispered.

Patrick dropped his hand back into his lap and moved his eyes back to the television. Robin did the same.

---

It had been more than a week since their encounter. They had managed to avoid each other even more than usual. One night, Robin had an unexpected change in her schedule when she came into work and Patrick's plans to go out with Lucky had fallen through.

Robin walked in the door, surprised to hear Patrick rattling around in the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen, her brow furrowing at him. He stood at the island, reading a cookbook. There was a huge ball of dough on the island and flour was everywhere, including on his face and in his hair.

"What are you doing?"

His head snapped up at her. "I thought you were working."

"There was a change in my schedule. What about you? I thought you had plans with Lucky."

"I did, but the baby-sitter canceled and Liz is working tonight."

Robin nodded, returning to her original question. She gestured to the mess. "So you had a little time on your hands and decided to start your own bakery?"

"I'm making pizza."

Her brow arched. "Since when do you make pizza?"

"Since now."

"In all the time we were together, you only cooked corndogs. Why the sudden widening of your repertoire?"

He shrugged, looking down. "I've been watching the Food Network a lot. I've had a lot of time on my hands."

Robin knew what he meant. Their jobs didn't allow for much spare time but what they did have they usually spent with each other.

Robin nodded and turned to leave when his voice stopped her.

"I could use some help," Patrick said.

Robin spun around and eyed him for a moment, before nodding and moving to the sink.

"Okay."

She washed her hands and moved to Patrick's side. She had to admit he looked really sexy with his sleeves rolled up and flour all over his hands and forearms.

"What do you want me to do?"

Patrick gestured to the cupboard. "Rolling pin."

Robin's brow furrowed. "We have a rolling pin?"

He smiled. "It think it may have already been here when we moved in."

Robin moved to the cupboard behind her and pulled out a rolling pin. She handed it to Patrick. He proceeded to flour it and then began to roll out the dough. Robin watched, as he furrowed his brow in concentration, his tongue peeking out between his lips. He began to grow frustrated when the dough kept bouncing back to its original size.

"Let me try," she said, reaching for the pin and covering his hands with hers.

Patrick looked up at her, surprised by her touch and suddenly realizing how close she was to him, her upper body pressed against his arm. His eyes scanned her face. He didn't loosen his grip on the pin.

"What makes you think you can do any better?"

She smiled, saying softly. "Maybe I have the magic touch."

Patrick's eyes focused on her lips. "Maybe you do."

He slowly released his hold on the pin and surrendered it to her. She put more flour under the dough and on the pin. Then she worked from the center out. The dough slowly began to take shape.

He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

She smiled at him. "Don't feel too bad. You can't be brilliant at everything."

Patrick sighed good-naturedly and reached over her to get the container of flour. As he picked it up, it slipped from his grip and the contents of the open container spilled all over Robin. Patrick's mouth dropped open, as he looked at the flour covering her blouse and face.

She smiled at him playfully. "You did that on purpose."

He held his hands up. "I'm not saying I'm above it, but I didn't do it on purpose."

She shook her head and reached her hand into the container, grabbing a handful of flour. His eyes widened and he held his hands up, as he backed away from her.

"Don't," he warned.

Her smile widened, as she backed him up against the counter, pinning his body with hers. He suddenly found himself lost in her eyes, in her touch. She brought her free hand up and grasped his button down shirt, pulled it forward. Then she held her hand above it and let the flour slide down into his shirt. She smiled, patting his chest and causing a cloud of flour to float up into his face.

Patrick winced. "Are we even now?"

She shook her head, then took her floured hand and patted his cheek, too. "Now we're even."

She began to back away, as she lowered her hand, but Patrick caught her arm with his before she could get far.

He looked at her for a long moment, his throat tightening. His voice emerged softly, "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "What are you talking about?"

He licked at his lips. "Being with you, but not really being with you."

She lowered her eyes. "Patrick-..."

He nodded. "I know, you don't have to say it again. I can't give you what you want so we can't be together. But that doesn't make it any easier, Robin."

She bobbed her head. "I know. It's not easy on me either."

She then turned on her heel and left the kitchen, as his eyes followed her.

---

Two weeks later, Patrick walked down the hall, his brow furrowing at the blaring sound of Robin's alarm clock. He stopped at the door, hesitantly reaching up to grasp the doorknob. He slowly opened the door and poked his head in. His eyes moved to the bed, where Robin lay under the covers.

"Robin? Are you okay? Your alarm's going off."

She groaned and pushed the covers back a bit. "I'm sick. I don't think I have the energy to lift my arm and turn it off."

Patrick's brow creased in concern and he was by her side in a flash. He hit the alarm off and then looked down at her. She was sweaty and her eyes were glassy.

He brought his hand up to her forehead. "You're burning up."

"It's the flu."

"Come on, I'm taking you to the hospital."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. I'll be fine."

"You're HIV positive, Robin. You know you need to be careful and monitor your condition when you get sick. Come on, get up."

She shook her head. "You're being overprotective."

He placed his hands on his hips and looked down at her. "Well, that's my right as-..." he began, his voice trailing off.

"As what?" she asked challengingly.

"The guy who loves you," he replied softly.

Robin moved her eyes from his. "You need to stop saying things like that."

"Why? It's the truth."

"Because you're making this harder than it already is," she said.

He shook his head in frustration. "Just forget it. Get up."

"You can stand there all day saying that, but it's never going to happen."

"Fine," he said with a shrug, as he began to undo his tie.

"What are you doing?"

"If you won't come with me, then I'm staying home with you."

Her eyes widened. "What? You have to go to work."

"I'll call in sick," he said with a smirk.

"Patrick, I'll be fine. Go to work."

"You can lay there all day saying that, but it's never going to happen," he said with a grin.

She groaned. "You are so stubborn."

"I know this is a completely childish response, but it takes one to know one."

"So, what do you plan on doing? Stand guard over me all day?"

"Well, you're so weak you couldn't even turn off your alarm, so I'm guessing you could use a little help getting things or getting up if you need to. By the way, it's funny that this weak thing doesn't extend to your ability to argue with me."

"That is funny," she replied with a smile.

He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, as he placed his hands on his hips. "So, how does chicken soup sound?"

---

Patrick returned some time later, armed with a tray full of things.

She looked up at him. "Exactly how long do you plan on keeping me in this bed?"

He arched his brow and her face reddened, as she realized how the comment sounded. When they were together, it wasn't uncommon for them to spend the majority of the weekend in bed.

He placed the tray beside her, as he lowered his gaze. "Just the basics: thermometer, liquids, tissues, reading material, soup, telephone, and," he said, pausing to hold up a DVD case, "Entertainment."

Robin looked at the DVD. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off?"

He nodded. "There's no better sick day movie. I mean, Ferris perfected the sick fake out."

Robin smiled. "Why do I get the feeling he's a personal hero of yours?"

He grinned. "Because you're a very perceptive woman."

He moved to the television and placed the disk in the DVD player. He then moved to the bed, sitting down beside her. She didn't object. Instead, she found her eyes focusing on his face, rather than the screen.

They watched in a comfortable silence for a long time. Patrick looked down at Robin. She had fallen asleep right around the time they killed the car. Normally, falling asleep during his favorite movie would be enough to drive him up the wall, but he would make an exception this time. He pulled the covers over her, as he brought his hands to her forehead. Her fever seemed to be breaking. He brought his lips to her forehead and kissed it lightly, before settling back into the pillows and leaning his head against hers.

---

The next morning, Patrick woke to find that he was still in Robin's bed...their bed. And something felt so right about that.

They had slept the day away. He woke up feeling terrible. His head hurt, his throat was sore, and every part of him ached. He groaned, causing Robin to stir.

She opened her eyes, surprised to still find him there. "What are you still doing here?"

"I fell asleep. And now I feel so crappy I don't think I can move."

"You're sick now, too?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot."

"Don't blame me. You're the one who insisted on staying home and camping out on my bed."

Patrick looked at her. "How do you feel?"

"A little better. Still pretty achy and my head is still killing me."

"How's your fever?"

She picked up the ear thermometer, putting a new cover over it. She waited a moment, then looked at the screen. "100. So lower."

"Give me it," he ordered. She put a new cover on and he repeated the process on himself. "102," he said. "I'm sicker than you."

"I didn't realize we were competing. I just thought you were concerned about me."

"I was. I am. But you're not as sick as I am, so you should really be the one to get up and get us stuff."

"Excuse me?"

"My throat feels like sandpaper. I could use a drink."

"Knock yourself out."

"You get it. I'm weaker. If I get up, I could fall and hit my head. I could then suffer from amnesia. You want to be responsible for that?"

"I'll risk it."

"Come on, Robin," he whined.

"Fine," she groaned. She pulled back the covers and slowly got out of bed, her legs unsteady. She returned a few moments later with a glass of water. She handed it to him and then climbed back into bed. He looked at the glass, then at her.

"There's no straw."

"So?"

"So, I need a straw. It's easier to drink when I'm lying down."

"You're kidding, right? In my weakened state, you're not actually asking me to get up again and get you a stupid straw."

"I gave you a straw. A bendy one, no less."

"And apparently I'll be indebted to you for life," she muttered.

He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "My mom always gave me bendy straws when I was sick as a kid."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his not-so-subtle use of his mother to manipulate her.

He went on when she still didn't move. "Come on, I took the day off yesterday to stay home with you. And look what it got me?"

"I didn't ask you to do that," she said with a shake of her head.

He met her eyes, his voice softening. "You didn't have to."

She sighed, shook her head, and slowly rolled out of bed again. She returned a minute later with his straw. He smiled at her, watched as she climbed back into bed, and then put his straw in his drink.

She watched as he sipped his water. "You know, you have a bed of your own. We don't share this bed anymore. You fell asleep here last night, but you really should go to your own bed now. You'll get more rest that way. I think you can manage to make it the few feet down the hall."

He held a hand up to his forehead and tilted his head back, eyes closed. "I'm far too weak to move."

She shook her head, not buying that for a minute. The truth was, he liked sharing a bed with her again. And, though she hated to admit it, so did she.

---

The next day, Robin and Patrick were feeling better, but still too weak to really leave the bed. So, they had decided to play a game: Monopoly.

Patrick threw his hands up in the air. "I can't play this game with you!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"

"Because you don't play right."

"What do you mean I don't play right?"

"You hardly ever buy houses."

"They're expensive."

"And when you do, you never replace them with hotels."

"I feel bad for the people who live in the houses."

Patrick's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding."

"This may just be a game, Patrick, but it's representative of what happens in real life all the time. The little people are always squashed by the big people with money and power."

Patrick ran a hand through his hair. "That's real life, this is a game. It's not real. I don't really travel in a thimble and I'm guessing you don't travel in a top hat. And I'm sure your Uncle Mac will tell you that rolling a double on a pair of dice will not get you out of jail."

She sighed. "Why are you complaining anyway? It means you have to pay less if you land on my property.

"You're no competition like this and I thrive on competition."

She smiled. "Really? I never noticed that about you."

Just then, Robin felt a huge sneeze begin to overtake her, but it came before she could cover her mouth. Their money and property cards went flying everywhere.

Her face reddened. "Sorry."

His lips turned downward in disgust. "That's it. I'm done."

"Oh, don't be such a baby."

"You got your germs all over everything. I think there's spit on my Park Place," he said gesturing wildly.

"Now you're suddenly germ conscious? You never seemed to mind during our countless make-out sessions."

Patrick raised an eyebrow, surprised she brought that up. "Sick germs are different."

"But you're already sick and I seem to remember somebody still being all over me last year when I had the flu. I had to lock the door to the bedroom."

"Yeah, but we're not together anymore," he stated.

She smiled, her own words surprising her. "Doesn't matter. You still want me just as much as ever."

Patrick arched his brow. "I thought we weren't supposed to say stuff like that anymore."

She shrugged, her eyes twinkling. "We're not, but it doesn't make it any less true."

He eyed her for a long moment, before starting to straighten the money and property.

"Fine, let's finish the game."

**----------------------------------------  
Part 4 coming soon...**

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. -Steph


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: The Break-Up  
**Author**: Steph  
**Rating**: PG  
**Pairing**: Robin/Patrick  
**Category**: Drama/Romance/bit of Humor  
**Disclaimer**: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.  
**Spoilers**: Reference made to an upcoming spoiler. (The what we've been waiting for and where it happens)  
**Summary**: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.

**Note**: Thanks for the feedback on the third part. I am so glad you enjoyed it! Here's the fourth. The next one should be the last unless something changes drastically! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. Thanks! -Steph

**--- The Break-Up: Part 4/5 ---**

Robin and Patrick had managed to work out their schedules at the hospital so their shifts never coincided. On this day, however, Robin had to switch shifts with another doctor who had an appointment. This meant they would be working together for the first time in three months.

Robin eyed Patrick, as he made notes on a patient's chart. When he looked up, she quickly lowered her eyes to her paperwork. He watched her for a few moments, before returning his gaze to his chart. They'd been doing this little dance for fifteen minutes now, each stealing glances at the other.

Patrick returned the chart and walked to the elevator. He pressed the down button and waited patiently. A moment later, a new nurse, Kylie Johnson, appeared by his side. She smiled at him and he looked down at her, grinning.

Robin's jaw tightened. Even when they were together, Patrick still had a tendency to flirt. Robin came to realize it was who he was. He would flirt with a potted plant. It rarely bothered her during their time together. But it was different now. While they were together, Robin never doubted that she had his heart, so the flirtations were meaningless. Even when he began to pull away, she knew he loved her and believed the flirtations meant nothing. And he still came home to her every night and pulled her into his arms before drifting off to sleep.

But that wasn't the case anymore. They no longer shared a bed and, if he chose to, he didn't have to come home. The flirtations were no longer meaningless. She watched, as Patrick placed his hand on the small of Kylie's back and guided her into the elevator. Robin blinked back tears.

---

Patrick pulled his car into his assigned parking spot, which just so happened to be adjacent to the pool. He got out of the car, his eyes widening when he spotted Robin lounging at the pool and chatting with their neighbor, the very single and very handsome lawyer, Tyler Sampson.

He licked at his lips, pulling off his sunglasses, as he squinted at them. Robin was smiling and laughing. Patrick hated the way Tyler was looking at her. He'd always suspected Tyler had a thing for her and he knew that he would jump at the opportunity now that she was single again.

Patrick walked toward the pool, stopping when he reached Robin. He looked down at her. She moved her gaze from Tyler to Patrick.

"Oh, hi."

"Hi. Could I speak with you a minute?"

She nodded, excused herself, and walked with him to the other side of the patio.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was having a perfectly pleasant conversation with a perfectly pleasant man."

"Who happens to be our neighbor."

"Yeah. So?"

"You can't date our neighbor, Robin."

Robin arched a brow, seeing the jealousy flare up in his eyes. "And why not?"

"Why not? Because we still live together. Most of these people don't even know about our new arrangement and, even if they did, they probably wouldn't understand it. What are they going to think if you start dating a neighbor?"

"Who cares? And, by the way, you have no right to tell me who I can and cannot date."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"It sure sounds like it. And I think it's because you're jealous, not because you're concerned about what others will think."

He leaned down towards her, his whisper harsh. "Well, why the hell shouldn't I be jealous? I'm still as in love with you as I've ever was. You ending things doesn't change that and I haven't tried to hide it."

She rubbed at her forehead. "You need to stop say-..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's easier for you to pretend this is what you really want if you don't have to listen to what we both know to be true."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Well, what about you? I saw you with Kylie at the hospital today."

"So?"

"So you seemed pretty chummy."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well, we have a date tonight."

Robin's mouth dropped open, her breath catching in her chest. She knew this day would eventually come, she just didn't know how much it would hurt when it did.

"But what about what you just said about your feelings for me?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, right? You don't want to be with me anymore, so it doesn't really matter how I feel. I guess I need to accept that and move on, so that's what I'm doing. And you don't get to have a problem with it because you made the choice to end us, not me." He met her eyes, his voice soft. "If it were up to me, I'd spend tonight and every other night with you. But you've made it clear it's not up to me."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "That's not fair, Patrick. Why are you trying to punish me for being honest with you about what I want?"

"I'm not punishing you, Robin. I can't give you what you want right now, but did you ever stop to consider that things could change?"

"You made it seem like you didn't want any part of marriage anytime soon, if at all, and that you weren't interested in having children. What part of that suggested a change in the future?"

He licked at his lips. "Well, maybe I wasn't clear. I have fears and doubts about marriage and having children. They're stopping me from being ready, from taking that chance. But that doesn't mean it will always be this way. You just need to give me some time."

Robin shook her head. "And I could spend years waiting for you to decide you're ready, if that day even comes."

Patrick leaned down close to her, his breath tickling her lips. "Let me get this straight. You could spend years with the man you love, the man who makes you happy, or you could spend it chasing after guys like him," Patrick said, gesturing to Tyler. "How does that make any sense, Robin? I don't understand. What do you expect to happen? Are you just going to find some guy who's ready for marriage and kids, love and happiness be damned?"

She lowered her eyes, his gaze too intense. "I don't know what I expect to happen."

He laughed bitterly. "Well, that's just great. You're throwing away everything we shared, everything we had, and you don't even know what you expect to happen."

He shook his head and turned on his heel to leave the pool area. Robin watched him go, as she fought back tears.

---

Robin stood in the doorway of the spare room, watching him tie his necktie. She could feel the tears begin to sting her eyes. She couldn't believe he was about to go out on a date with another woman. The thought of him touching another woman, kissing another woman, made her sick to her stomach.

He caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and spun around to face her.

She stepped into the room, as she bit at her bottom lip. "I'm sorry about earlier. I don't want to fight with you."

He nodded, but didn't say a word.

She took a deep breath, as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "I was thinking that maybe we should revisit one of us moving out. This is just too hard."

He swallowed hard. "I'm not moving out." She sighed, as he went on. "And I don't want you to move out either."

Robin's brow furrowed. "Why? Patrick, this is killing both of us. And now that we are both dating again it's only-..."

His eyes widened slightly. "We?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have a date with Tyler on Friday."

Patrick pursed his lips together and bobbed his head, but didn't reply. She took a step closer. "I don't understand why you want to torture yourself, torture us like this."

He shook his head, meeting her eyes and responding softly, "The only thing that's getting me through this is knowing that I get to see you everyday, if only for a minute or two. I get to see your face. If I'm lucky, I get to talk to you. If one of us leaves, then I'll never see you. We'll never see each other. Our shifts will never coincide. And the one person I can't imagine not being a part of my life will just disappear. I couldn't stand that, Robin."

Robin felt her chest tighten. "We can't go on like this forever, Patrick."

He slowly brought his hand up to her cheek. "No, just until you realize that the only future you want is with me."

She shook her head and wiped at a tear that slipped down her cheek. "You don't get it. I realized that a long time ago. It's your turn now."

"That is what I want. I can't imagine being with anyone else. Robin, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said softly.

Robin squeezed her eyes shut, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. "You just don't want to marry me." He moved his eyes to the ground. "Don't you understand, Patrick? That makes me feel like you're not truly sure I'm who you want to spend your life with. It makes me feel like you're giving yourself an out."

"That's not what I'm doing."

She rubbed her at her eyes. "We're just going around in circles. You're going to be late for your date."

She then turned and left.

---

Patrick stared blankly at Kylie. They were at the MetroCourt and they were supposed to be enjoying a nice meal. But he couldn't get Robin out of his head. And there were too many memories at this place. They were sitting at the same table he had sat at that night with the rose and the champagne, trying to entice her to come to him. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wasn't jealous of Nikolas because he knew she would eventually come to him. She always did.

But things were different now. He wasn't the one she would be coming to anymore. The thought of another man putting his hands on her made him want to punch something or, better yet, someone.

Kylie leaned forward. "Patrick? Are you okay?"

He shook free of his thoughts and focused on the woman before him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She smiled, eyeing him. "Well, I was just saying that I was surprised to learn a guy like you was still single. I mean, you're brilliant, successful, funny, charming and drop-dead gorgeous. I can't believe some woman hasn't snatched you up by now."

He shrugged. "I guess there are some things that just can't be explained." She laughed lightly. He met her eyes. "Let's get out of here. How does your place sound?"

She shook her head. "If I had a place of my own, it would sound great. But since I just moved back to Port Charles from Boston a few weeks ago, I haven't had a chance to find a place yet. I'm staying with my parents until I do. How about your place?"

Patrick thought for a moment. He knew about their unspoken rule, but he couldn't think of a plausible excuse not to go back to his place.

He nodded and extended his hand. "My place it is."

---

Patrick opened the door and allowed Kylie to enter before he closed it behind them. He placed his keys on the table by the door and smiled at her. "How does some wine sound?"

"It sounds great."

He moved to the kitchen, returning a few moments later with two glasses of red wine. He gestured to the couch and she sat down. He took his place beside her and handed her the glass. She took a sip, eyeing him over the glass.

Patrick's gaze focused on the stairs. He could think of nothing but Robin. He knew she would be in the bedroom. What if she heard them down here? What if she found them together? And he realized in that moment that the real reason he had brought Kylie back here was so that Robin would see them together. He wanted her to. He wanted her to come downstairs and see him with another woman. Then maybe, just maybe, she would realize what she was throwing away, what she was giving up.

He leaned forward, allowing the glass to slip from his hands and fall to the hardwood floor. It landed with a crash, splintering into a million pieces. Kylie jumped up, gasping. Patrick moved his eyes to the stairs again. A moment later, he heard a door creak open and the sound of footsteps padding down the hall and then down the stairs. Robin soon stood at the foot of the stairs, staring at them.

Kylie's eyes widened. "Dr. Scorpio?" She turned to Patrick. "What is she doing here?"

Patrick replied without moving his eyes from Robin's figure. "We're roommates."

"Roommates?" Kylie said, following his gaze back to Robin.

Robin took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Yes, roommates."

Kylie shook her head and grabbed her purse. "No, I knew something wasn't right. I heard some gossip about you two, but I chose not to get involved. I never really got the whole story, but it seems obvious there's something between you two."

She looked to Patrick to deny it, but he just kept staring at Robin.

Kylie nodded. "And I guess I was right. Goodnight, Patrick."

With that, Kylie walked out the door. Robin came to stand in front of him, her eyes moving to the wine on the floor and then to his face.

"I guess we should have been clear about this dating thing. As long as we're still living together, we can't bring our dates home."

"I wanted you to see her," he whispered.

Her brow furrowed and then hurt flashed across her eyes. "Why? To hurt me?"

He shook his head. "No, to make you see what you're giving up, Robin."

She swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I already know what I'm giving up, Patrick. I don't need you to show me." She paused and then said, "Make sure you clean up this mess before you go to bed."

She then walked back up the stairs. He sank down into the couch, bowing his head.

---

It was Friday night and Patrick had an exciting evening planned of watching ESPN. It was clear he was not ready to date yet and he wasn't sure he ever would be. What was the point of dating when the only woman he wanted was right upstairs? He wasn't interested in being with any other woman, not even for sex. You see, sex wasn't just sex to him anymore. With Robin, he discovered for the first time what it meant to make love. After experiencing that with her, he couldn't imagine ever being able to go back to meaningless sex.

He moved his eyes from the television to the stairs, as he heard her approach. His breath caught in his chest at the sight of her coming down the stairs.

She was wearing his favorite dress. It was the burgundy one she had worn the first time they had really been committed to making love, but had been interrupted. He remembered the moment he saw her in that dress. She had just returned from her jungle adventure and he had missed her like crazy. The moment he saw her, his heart had stopped. She always could make his heart stop. He had never seen anyone or anything look more beautiful. He had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. To this day, he still regretted not telling her how beautiful she looked that night. But he'd made up for it since, rarely missing an opportunity.

He licked at his lips, his eyes scanning her figure, as she moved to the closet.

"You look beautiful," he said softly.

She snapped her head in his direction, her expression softening. She wasn't sure she'd ever hear those words pass through his lips again.

"Thank you."

She offered him one last look, before moving to the door and leaving. Patrick stood up and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains. He watched as she crossed the parking lot and climbed the stairs to Tyler's place. He opened the door a moment later and she entered. He felt his heart drop into his stomach. He stood at the window staring for over an hour. They never left his place. Patrick assumed Tyler had planned an evening in. His hands balled into fists, his mind going places he didn't want it to.

---

Patrick lay in his bed, staring at the bright, red numbers on his clock that seemed to be mocking him. It was 12:03. And she wasn't back yet. He moved to the window and saw that the lights were still on at Tyler's house. He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't imagine any reason she'd still be there except for the obvious.

He paced back and forth in his bedroom, telling himself that it was none of his business. That he had to let her live her life. But he knew that was impossible. He sighed, throwing a sweatshirt on. He was down the stairs and out the door in a flash.

He crossed the parking lot and quietly climbed the stairs. His lips turned downward when he noticed that the curtains were pulled. He stood at the door, hand poised to knock, when it suddenly flew open.

"Thank you for a nice-..." Robin was saying, before her gaze fell upon Patrick.

Robin's eyes widened at him, as did Tyler's who stood behind her. Patrick's cheeks reddened.

"Patrick? What are you doing here?"

The truth was, he wasn't sure what he planned on saying or doing when they answered the door and they had taken him by surprise.

"I, uh, I..." his voice trailed off.

Tyler took a step forward. "You have nothing to worry about. She was in good hands all night."

The comment was said innocently and without of hint of smugness, but that was all it took for Patrick. He raised his fist up and connected with Tyler's nose.

Robin's mouth fell open. "Patrick!"

Tyler grabbed at his face, shocked for a moment, before glaring at Patrick and then tackling him. They rolled around on the stoop for a few moments, Tyler getting in a punch to Patrick's jaw that made Robin yelp.

"Stop it!"

They paid her no attention, as they fell off the stoop and into the bushes.

Robin gritted her teeth and walked down the stairs. She moved to the bushes. She then grabbed Patrick's arm hard and pulled him off of Tyler.

"I said stop it!"

Patrick's sweatshirt was torn and his lip was bleeding. He stood up, brushing at his clothes.

Tyler got to his feet and looked at Robin. "You were right. He's never going to let you go."

He then limped up the stairs and back into his house.

Patrick turned to her. "You talked about me? About us?"

She pulled him by the arm, ignoring his questions. "Let's go home."

---

Patrick leaned his head back on the couch, as Robin applied a wet facecloth to his lip.

"What were you thinking?"

He closed his eyes. "I was thinking you'd been over there for more than five hours. I was thinking about everything that can happen in five hours."

She sighed. "Nothing happened, but it's none of your business anyway. Not anymore."

He lifted his head and covered her hand that held the washcloth with his own, as he removed it from his face. "You're always going to be my business, Robin."

"This is never going to work, Patrick," she replied. "I can't keep doing this."

He met her eyes, his voice soft. "So then stop. Come back to me."

She blinked back sudden tears. "I can't. Not unless something changes for you."

He swallowed. "What did you do all of that time with him?"

She lowered her eyes. "We talked about you."

Patrick's eyes widened. "Me? You went on a date with another guy and you talked about your ex-boyfriend the whole time. No wonder you didn't get any."

Her eyes narrowed at him and she brought the washcloth up to his lip, pressing hard.

"Ow!" he yelped. "That hurt."

"Good."

He looked at her. "Why did you talk about me the whole time?"

She shook her head. "It's not like I set out to. You just came up and then I couldn't stop. I told Tyler about what happened between us. He was really great. He just listened to me for hours." She laughed lightly, "I would have thrown me out after ten minutes."

He smiled at her, their eyes meeting and holding for a long moment. He took a deep breath. "How are you supposed to move on if all you talk about is me?"

She lowered her eyes. "It won't always be this way. I guess I just wasn't ready."

Patrick shook his head, as he brought his thumb and forefinger to her chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze. He allowed his hand to linger on her face. "As long as you still love me, you're never going to be ready. Haven't you realized that yet?"

Robin stared at him for a moment, before moving away from his touch, standing up, and heading into the kitchen.

---

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Lucky asked Liz, as they stood outside Robin and Patrick's condo three weeks later.

Liz was holding Livie, their five month old, and Cameron stood by Lucky's side. Lucky was armed with the baby necessities.

Liz smiled. "Of course it's a good idea. I'm the one who came up with it."

"Maybe we should just stay out of it. It's none of our business."

"Sure it's out business. They're our friends and they're both miserable. And they've been that way for months now."

"They need to work this out for themselves, Elizabeth."

"I know that. I just think they need a little help. They're both so stubborn that they can't seem to see that they don't work apart. And they haven't for a very long time."

"You're simplifying the issue. They have real reasons for not being together anymore. Robin's ready for marriage and Patrick isn't. Robin wants kids and Patrick is afraid of being a father."

Elizabeth smiled and glanced at their children. "That's why we have them. Patrick is just scared because of what happened with his father. He hasn't had any real experience with children. He has no idea what kind of father he could be."

"So you think one day baby-sitting our kids will make him see that he can be a father?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I think one day spent baby-sitting our kids with Robin will make him see what he could have with her."

Lucky shook his head, as Elizabeth used her free hand to ring the bell.

Patrick opened the door a moment later, his eyes widening at the sight of them.

"Hi. What are you guys doing here?"

Elizabeth brushed past him and Lucky followed, offering him a closed-mouth smile.

She spoke a mile a minute. "Oh, it's a long story. Gram was supposed to baby-sit so we were dropping the kids off at her house, when she got called away and everyone else was busy. Lucky and I have this really important appointment so-..."

Robin appeared at Patrick's side a moment later, her brow furrowing. "You guys need us to baby-sit?"

Liz smiled, as she handed Livie to Patrick, who proceeded to hold her with arms outstretched in front of him, like she was a ticking bomb.

"Yes, thank you so much. Cameron, give mommy a kiss."

Patrick's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Wait. Wait a minute. We can't-..."

"Thanks!" they said over their shoulders, as they dropped the baby items on the floor and hurried out the door.

Cameron looked up at them, pouting, "I'm bored."

Robin and Patrick exchanged a look.

---

"Oh! You won!" Patrick said, as Cameron's racecar passed his and he raised his hand to high-five the little boy.

Cameron smiled, his dark hair flying back and forth, as he high-fived Patrick.

Robin sat on the floor with Livie in her lap, as she watched them, a permanent smile on her lips. This was the first time she had really seen Patrick interact with children. He would usually avoid Livie and Cameron when they went over Liz and Lucky's house.

Patrick felt her eyes on him and turned to look at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He smiled. "Your nothing always means something."

She shrugged. "You're really good with him."

He looked at Cameron. "He makes it easy."

"No, you have a way with kids that you never realized because you never allowed yourself to interact with them."

He lowered his eyes. "All we're doing is playing racecars."

"So?"

"So this is easy. I'm great with the simple, unimportant stuff. It's the serious, complicated stuff I don't know how to do."

Robin's brow wrinkled. "How do you know? You've never even tried."

"But my father did."

Robin shook her head. "You are not your father."

Patrick glanced at Cameron. "My father was always great at the fun dad stuff. Going to the racetrack, playing catch, going fishing. I always thought he was the greatest dad because that's all I thought it took to be a father. I didn't realize until after my mother died that my father couldn't handle being a father when things got hard or serious. I realized later that he had always let my mother deal with the tough stuff. And when it was his turn and he didn't have my mother to do it for him, he couldn't face it. He couldn't deal with me. That's when I realized anyone can be a father when things are easy. The hard part is being one when things aren't."

Robin stared at him for a long moment. She had never known any of this. She knew Patrick compared himself to his father and feared becoming like him, but she never knew how deeply it extended.

Robin reached out and touched his hand. "I think you're forgetting something. No one's saying you would have to do it alone."

Patrick looked into her eyes, before moving them back to the racetrack.

---

Robin walked outside holding Livie, the cool night's air blowing her hair. She smiled at the sight of Patrick and Cameron trying to make a fire on their little patch of lawn.

"You really think this is a good idea?" she asked. "We're not supposed to have fires."

Patrick shrugged and smiled. "Cameron wants S'mores and S'mores is what he'll get."

Cameron clapped his hands together. Robin shook her head. ""S'mores come out just as good in the microwave."

Patrick and Cameron both stared at her. Patrick placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. Cameron glanced at Patrick, then put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

Robin had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Patrick looked down at Cameron. "Ask her what's the fun in that?"

Cameron smiled and said, "What's the fun in that?"

Robin shook her head in defeat, as she sat down on the lawnchair, Livie settling onto her lap. Patrick poked at the fire and the flames started licking at the air around them. Patrick sat down next to her. He then picked up three skewers and put a marshmallow on each one. He handed one to Robin, one to Cameron and kept one for himself. They spent the next several minutes roasting marshmallows in comfortable silence.

Patrick looked at Robin. Livie was sleeping securely in her arms and the glow from the fire lit up Robin's face. Patrick was sure he had never seen a more perfect sight before. Looking at the two of them together overwhelmed him. He knew Robin was meant to be a mother and that she would be an amazing one. He'd always known that and he wanted that for her. He just didn't think he could give it to her.

But as he sat there watching her and as they shared this decidedly family moment, Patrick could suddenly begin to see it. He could see her holding their children. He could see them gathered together as a family. He had never been able to see it before, his fears and doubts preventing him. But he could see it now.

Robin felt his eyes on her. A slow smile spread across her lips, as she turned to look at him.

"What?" she asked softly.

He shook his head, as he swallowed hard. "Nothing."

She grinned at him. "Your nothing always means something."

He smiled, but didn't reply, instead choosing to return his gaze to the fire. It was Robin's turn to eye him.

**----------------------------------------  
Last part coming soon...**  
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. -Steph


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: The Break-Up  
**Author**: Steph   
**Rating**: PG  
**Pairing**: Robin/Patrick  
**Category**: Drama/Romance/bit of Humor  
**Disclaimer**: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.  
**Spoilers**: Reference made to an upcoming spoiler. (The what we've been waiting for and where it happens)  
**Summary**: After breaking up, neither one will give up the condo they share, so Robin and Patrick decide to keep living together.

**Note**: Here's the last part. Thanks so much for all of the great feedback! I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed it. It's been fun to write. Hope you enjoy this last part and please let me know what you thought. Thanks! -Steph

**--- The Break-Up:Part 5/5 ---**

Patrick waved good-bye to Lucky, Liz and the kids, and then shut the door behind them. He walked into the kitchen, stopping at the threshold and leaning against the doorframe, as he watched Robin standing at the sink washing dishes.

He couldn't count the number of times he had snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her body while she stood there. She would always lean into his chest, tilting her head back and squeezing her eyes closed. He would bring his lips to her neck and kiss it softly, smiling against her skin when she let out a soft moan.

"Patrick? Patrick?"

He realized he'd been lost in the past and hadn't heard her calling him.

He shook free of the memories. "Sorry. What?"

"I asked you to hand me that salad bowl on the counter next to you."

He picked up the salad bowl and walked over to her, but instead of handing it to her, he placed it in the sink and rolled up his sleeves.

He glanced at her. "Let me."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she shrugged. "Be my guest." She then added softly, "I guess you have changed in one way."

He didn't reply. Instead, he turned the water on and washed the bowl. She stood behind him, watching his every move. Her eyes focused on his hands. She'd always loved his hands. They were so large and strong. She would often wake after a night of making love to find one of his hands resting across her bare stomach. She'd thread her fingers with his and marvel at the difference in the size of their hands, but how perfectly they still managed to fit. It was just like their relationship. They were so different in many ways, but they managed to make it work. They just fit.

Patrick shut off the water and turned around, surprised to find her still standing there. She met his eyes, her throat growing dry and her heart rate quickening.

"Do you remember our first night in this place?" she asked out of the blue.

She took a step towards him, never breaking their eye contact. He nodded, his chocolate eyes seeming to melt at the intensity in her gaze.

"We christened the kitchen," he said with a small smile.

"And a few other rooms," she added, her eyes twinkling.

She took a few more steps toward him, forcing him to back up against the counter. She was so close now he could smell the perfume of her hair. Her eyes focused on his lips, as her hands came to his sides and she linked her fingers with his.

He swallowed against the lump in his throat. "What are you doing?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she whispered, as she stood on her toes and tilted her head up towards him.

"This is probably not a good idea," he said huskily.

"Probably not," she replied in a whisper, before her lips crashed into his.

They untangled their hands, his moving to cup her face and hers moving to the hair at the nape of his neck. She pressed her body into his, pinning him against the counter. His hands threaded into her hair, as she snaked her arms around his neck. Patrick moved his hands to her waist and picked her up, spinning her around in one motion and placing her on the counter. His body moved between her legs, as she wrapped them around his waist. He brought his lips to her throat and began trailing a path of kisses down it. He moved back up, kissing his way to her ear and nipping lightly at it. She moaned softly and arched her back, as she dug her nails into his back, gripping his shirt. He smiled against her skin, realizing how much he had missed hearing her make that sound.

They didn't seem to be able to get enough of each other, nearly four months of pent-up desires and suppressed passion spilling forth. They were lost in each other's touch, wondering how they had managed to go so long without it. 

Patrick found Robin's mouth again, his tongue diving in. He brought his hands to the back of her head to deepen the kiss, when she suddenly pulled back. She looked at him, her eyes clouded with a million emotions.

"We can't do this. I...I can't do this," she said softly.

Patrick's chest deflated. "Why?"

"Because it won't change anything. Tomorrow, we'll wake up and everything will be the same."

He licked at his lips. He yearned to tell her that he had turned a corner that night. That he could imagine having a family with her, that he could see it for the first time. But he couldn't find the words.

She slipped off the counter, her body pressing up against his again. His hands were planted on the counter, bracing himself and effectively trapping her. She waited a moment for him to move back. He slowly removed his hands and she stepped out, breaking their contact. She walked toward the doorway. Patrick saw her bring her hand up to wipe away a tear.

"Robin," he said softly.

She shook her head, but didn't turn to face him. "Don't, Patrick. Not tonight."

His eyes followed her until she disappeared from view.

---

The next morning, Robin found Patrick in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He looked up from his task when he saw her, removing the toothbrush from his mouth.

"Good morning," he said, his words muffled from his mouthful of toothpaste.

"We need to talk," she said by way of greeting. She then moved from the door and disappeared.

His mouth hung open at her tone and he swallowed, wincing as the toothpaste slid down his throat. He quickly finished brushing his teeth and then walked out of the bathroom. He found her in the bedroom, her back to him as she looked in her bureau. He stood at the door for a few moments, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence.

She finally spun around and met his eyes. She walked to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. "I'm leaving."

"I thought your shift didn't start until three today," he replied.

She shook her head, saying softly, "No, I meant I'm moving out."

His mouth fell open, as his breath caught in his chest. "What...what do you mean you're moving out?"

"I can't do this anymore, Patrick. It's too hard. It hurts too much."

He took a step toward her, trying to take her hands in his, but she moved out of his reach. He lowered his eyes.

"That's what I mean," she continued. "You try to touch me or we have a moment and it's like we have to start all over again. This is hard enough as it is. We're only making it harder by choosing to still live together."

His brain searched for the words to tell her that things had changed for him. That he could see himself married to her, that he could see himself being a father to their children. And it was all because of her. He could make a marriage work because he would be doing it with her. He could be the father he wanted to be because she would be by his side.

But as she looked at him with tears in her eyes, he couldn't find the words. He was too shocked by the reality of what was happening. He could have stopped it. All he had to do was tell her.

She moved away from him, walking to the bureau again. "I'll be staying with my Uncle Mac until I find a place of my own."

"Please don't do this," he managed weakly.

"I have to," she replied softly, as she turned around to face him again. "We'll never be able to move forward like this. And if we're not careful we could wake up one day and years could have passed us by."

She walked over to him, hesitantly bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into the warmth of her palm.

"We need to let go. We both know why we refused to give this place up. We didn't truly want to give each other up. This was our way of holding on. Well, now it's time to let go."

Patrick looked into her eyes and listened to her tone, suddenly feeling as if she had already given up on them, that it didn't matter what he said or did now, she had put him, them, in the past. Panic began to rise up in him. 

"This is just a reaction to what happened last night."

"Last night never should have happened."

"It won't again."

She shook her head. "That's just it. It will. You know that as well as I do. That's why I have to leave."

"Robin," he whispered.

She smiled sadly, as she brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. Tears began to stream down her face, as they kissed. He tasted the salt of her tears on his lips. She slowly pulled back, then sidestepped him and walked out of the room and down the hall.

He stood frozen to his spot for what seemed like hours.

---

Three days later, Patrick walked in the door after work, stopping in his tracks when he saw Robin kneeling on the floor, surrounded by boxes. Her head was bent and she was captivated by something. He walked over to her and knelt down. It was then that he realized she was looking through an album of photos she had compiled of them. He swallowed hard, as his eyes moved to her face. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears and her eyes were red and puffy.

She seemed to notice him for the first time and smiled sheepishly, shaking her head.

"Oh, hi. I didn't hear you come in."

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'm fine."

Her eyes moved back to the picture of them she had been looking at. He followed her gaze, smiling at the photo. It was taken on their first trip together. He'd taken her away for the weekend about a month after telling her he wanted to be with only her. They had gone to New York City and he had shown her all of the places he enjoyed while he lived in Manhattan. He had taken her to a Yankee game. The Yankees were his favorite team since he was a kid and he had been to countless games. His big dream was to catch a foul ball. He had come very close, but had never gotten one. Sure enough though, Robin caught one at her very first baseball game. Actually, Patrick had gone to the bathroom and she had been talking to the person next to her and not paying attention. The ball was hit and it landed in her nachos before she had a chance to react. When he returned, she held up the cheese-covered ball with a wide grin. He simply shook his head, a smile upon his lips as he looked at her. They had the people next to them take their picture with it.

Robin moved her hand to something beside her. She picked up the ball and held it up to him. "Here. I want you to keep it."

He shook his head. "It's your ball."

"I've always considered it our ball."

He met her eyes. "You should keep it. You caught it...kind of."

She smiled and took his hand in hers, palm facing up. She placed the ball in it and wrapped his fingers around it. "I'd really like you to have it."

A smile pulled at his lips. "Okay, thank you."

Robin looked back down at the album and closed it. She shook her head, muttering under her breath, "I'll never finish if I keep getting lost in the past."

Patrick eyed her. He wanted so badly to tell her things had changed for him, but every time he opened his mouth no words came out. He kept thinking it didn't matter anymore. That he'd waited too long, that he'd missed his chance. And now he was afraid that she would tell him just that if he said anything. He wondered if she'd even believe him now or if she would just think he was saying what she wanted to hear to hold onto her. He was afraid she would reject him and he was sure he couldn't stand that. 

"Robin," he whispered.

"Yeah?" she asked, not looking up.

He slowly shook his head and stood up. "Never mind."

---

Robin walked into the locker room and opened her locker. She proceeded to change into her scrubs, without ever acknowledging Elizabeth, who was sitting on the bench.

"Good morning to you, too," Elizabeth said, as she stood and came to stand beside her friend.

Robin looked startled to see Elizabeth. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't even see you there."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You haven't been yourself for days."

Elizabeth really wanted to say she hadn't been herself for months, but refrained.

Robin met her friend's gaze. "I'm moving out."

Elizabeth eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Robin shook her head. "Why are you so surprised and, dare I say, upset by this news? You're the one who told me I was crazy for staying and that it wouldn't work."

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, but I thought if you gave it enough time then maybe Patrick would come around. He hasn't seemed any different at all?"

Robin shrugged. "I thought I noticed something in him when we were baby-sitting Cameron and Livie."

Elizabeth smiled. "And?"

"And nothing. He hasn't said anything. This kissing thing happened between us and I decided it was best to move out."

Elizabeth's eye narrowed. "But maybe something's changed for him. You just need to give him a chance to tell you."

Robin sighed. "I doubt it, Elizabeth. And It doesn't really matter now anyway. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving."

Elizabeth pulled Robin into her arms for a hug. "Are you sure about this? Do you really want to give up on him? You've been miserable since you broke up."

Robin took a step back. "I'm sure. It'll get easier now that we won't be living together."

Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "I know you don't really believe that."

Robin lowered her eyes to the ground.

---

Lucky took a swig of his beer and looked at his friend. "Good, so you've finally come to your senses. You've finally gotten to the place Robin's been waiting for you to get to." He smiled and leaned forward. "You know, that baby-sitting thing was Liz's idea. She thought it would get you to see what you could have with Robin. I wasn't so sure about it. I guess she was right. She's never going to let me live that one down."

Patrick looked down at the table. "Don't get too excited. I haven't told her how I feel yet."

Lucky's eyes widened. "What do you mean you haven't told her?"

He shook his head. "I haven't been able to find the words. We kissed...and then she decided to move out."

"What? Robin's moving out?"

"Yeah and I still haven't been able to tell her."

"What the hell are you waiting for? She's leaving, Patrick. You're about to lose her for good."

"Don't you think I know that? I want to tell her, but she's acting like it's really over, like I missed my chance and it's too late. I'm not sure I could stand telling her, only to have her reject me."

Lucky sighed and rolled his eyes. "Don't take this personally, but you're being an idiot."

Patrick managed a weak smile. "Now why would I take that personally?"

Lucky picked up his beer and pointed a finger at him. "She is still in love with you. The only reason you're not together is because you said you couldn't give her what she wanted. Well, you can now. She's only leaving because she still thinks you can't. She's not going to reject you if you tell her. She's going to fall back into your arms."

Patrick dropped his head. "You don't know that. I may have waited too long. I may have hurt her too much. There may not be a way to go back." Patrick shrugged. "Even if I did tell her, I'm not sure she'd believe me anyway. She would probably think that I was just saying I was ready to hold on to her."

"So that's it? You're just going to assume all of this and let her walk out for good?" Lucky shook his head. "And people say you're brilliant."

A smile pulled at Patrick's lips. "You know, I think I liked you better when you were jealous and high."

Lucky's expression grew serious. "All joking aside, you need to do something, Patrick. Before it's too late."

---

One week later, Patrick stood in the middle of the living room, looking at all of the empty spots where Robin's things had been. Most of the furniture was hers, but she wasn't taking a lot of it. Patrick thought it probably held too many memories for her. All the times they curled up on the couch together or made love.

Robin walked in the door, their eyes meeting. She swallowed. "I just came to get the last of my boxes. I left my car at my Uncle Mac's and he drove me over here so I could fill up his with the rest."

Patrick walked over to her, refusing to break their gaze.

"Let me drive you," he said softly.

Her brow furrowed. "What? Why? My Uncle Mac is waiting right outside."

"I'd just like to drive you, that's all. Could you just let me have this one last thing?" he asked.

She looked at him, noticing something different in his eyes. She slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll call my Uncle Mac."

Patrick watched as she called Mac. They then spent the next fifteen minutes filling Patrick's car with her remaining items. Robin held the last box, as she stood in the living room, her eyes scanning back and forth. Everywhere she looked she saw a memory, a picture in her mind of them, frozen in time. She blinked back tears and turned to him.

"Let's go."

---

They drove in a tense silence for a few minutes, until he made a turn that caused her brow to furrow.

"Why did you turn there? This isn't the shortest way to my Uncle Mac's house."

Patrick turned his eyes to her. "I figured we could take the scenic route. Give us a little more time together."

She sighed. "Patrick, please don't make this harder than it has to be." 

He shook his head. "That's not what I'm trying to do. It's just that this is probably the last time we'll get to spend together. After this, we'll never see each other anymore, not even at work."

Her expression softened. "This is a small town. We're bound to run into each other. You can't walk two feet without bumping into someone you know."

He swallowed. "That's not the same." He looked out at the road. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you just yet."

Robin opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut.

---

The scenic route turned out to be a bunch of back roads that led through the woods. Robin was beginning to grow impatient, when the car slowly sputtered to a stop. She turned to him, eyes wide.

"What just happened?"

He looked down at the dashboard and shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Are we out of gas?"

"No, I have close to a full tank."

She gestured at the hood. "Well, why don't you look under the hood? You raced cars. You should know a little bit about them."

Patrick shook his head. "I know how to race them, that's it." He grinned, holding up his hands. "These hands may be good for a lot of things, but fixing cars isn't one of them. The inner workings of the human body I'm solid on. The inner workings of a car? Clueless."

Robin eyed him for a moment, suddenly feeling like this was all just a little too familiar.

"Did you do something to the car?"

Patrick sighed. "You still think I had something to do with the car breaking down when it started raining and we ended up at that cabin."

"I've always felt it was a little too convenient, yes. I mean, we kept getting interrupted every time we tried to make love and, suddenly, we're stuck out in the middle of nowhere. And what do you know? It finally happened."

"Well, if that were true, then I probably would have had the car break down closer to the cabin. Traipsing five miles in the rain isn't exactly my idea of foreplay," he replied with a grin.

"So you had nothing to do with this then? You're not just trying to delay the inevitable?" He shook his head. Robin sighed. "So what do we do now?"

He looked at his cell phone. "No signal. You?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

He shrugged. "Well, we're actually pretty close to that cabin. Only probably a mile or so. It has a phone. I guess we could walk there and call your Uncle Mac."

She threw him a glare. "I wouldn't have to walk a mile and call my Uncle Mac if you hadn't decided to take the-..." she paused dramatically, making air quotes with her fingers,"...'scenic route'."

He didn't respond, instead opening the door and getting out. He then leaned down and poked his head back into the car. "You can sit there and keep complaining or you can start walking."

"How about I wait here and you walk to call my Uncle Mac?" she asked, her smile sweet.

He sighed. "You know I'm not going to leave you here alone."

"I can take care of myself."

"I'm not having this argument with you. Get out of the car, Robin."

She groaned and got out of the car. He came to her side and they began walking.

After a few moments, Patrick turned to Robin with a smile. "Remember last time? You broke your heel and whined about it for five miles."

"I didn't whine for five miles."

"Okay, four and three quarters," he replied with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, just as a raindrop fell on her nose. Then another. Soon, it was a full-fledged downpour. 

She eyed him. "I can't believe this is happening again, too."

Patrick smiled. "You're not seriously accusing me of making it rain, are you?"

"Who knows what you're capable of."

"Yeah, you got me. I stayed up all night doing a raindance."

She chuckled lightly. "Oh, the images going through my mind."

---

Robin's chest deflated in relief when she saw the cabin ahead of them. "Thank God."

They were soaked to the bone, their clothes sticking to their bodies.

They slowly made their way up to the cabin. Robin walked up to the door, relieved to again find it unlocked. She slowly turned the doorknob and let the door swing open. 

Her eyes immediately grew to the size of saucers at what greeted her. Patrick stood behind her, smiling.

The cabin was filled with candles and flowers. The fire was roaring, filling the room with warmth. The table was beautifully set, a covered silver platter at its center.

She turned around, her eyes meeting his, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"So I guess you lied then," she managed softly.

He shrugged with a grin. "Yeah, I messed with the car this time."

She shook her head, as she forced herself to blink back sudden tears. "So what is this all about, Patrick? You want to spend one last night together? Enjoy one last time before we have to say good-bye?" She sighed, not giving him a chance to answer. "Or is this your last ditch effort to keep me from leaving for good? If it is, it won't work. Nothing's changed for you."

He stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "That's just it, Robin. Everything's changed."

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

He licked at his lips. "I can see it, Robin. I can see us married with a family. It's what I want."

Robin felt her throat go dry and her breath catch in her chest, but she shook her head. "You don't mean that. You're just saying what you know I want to hear. You don't want to let go, so you figured you'd give me what I want, even though it's not what you want. It would never work, Patrick. You would be miserable and eventually we'd end up right back here, saying good-bye."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to let her doubts stop him. He looked into her eyes. "I'm saying this because I mean it. If it were just about saying what I thought you wanted to hear, I would have done that months ago. I would have saved us all the heartache. But I couldn't do it then because that wasn't how I felt. That's not the case anymore."

Robin felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she paid it no attention. "I don't understand. What made you change your mind?"

He brought his hand up to her cheek and whispered, "You did." She fought the smile threatening to overtake her lips, as he went on. "For a long time, I couldn't see myself married. I was scared of how it would change our relationship. I felt it could only end with me losing you. That scared me so much that I didn't think I could take that step. Then I realized that by not allowing myself to take that chance I had caused the very thing I feared: I had lost you. When we were baby-sitting Cameron and Livie, I sat there and I watched you hold her. And suddenly I realized that marrying you and having a family with you was the only thing I wanted. It was so clear. I realized that I could be a good husband and father because I would be doing it all with you by my side."

The tears were now streaming down Robin's face. He brought his thumb up to wipe at them and smiled. "I love you, Robin." He placed both of his hands on her face, cupping it, before bringing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

He then pulled back and looked down at her. "Do you believe me now?"

She smiled and threw her arms around his neck, as she stood on her toes and met his lips again. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. They slowly parted, but their foreheads remained touching, eyes closed.

"I guess you do," he said softly.

He then opened his eyes, meeting hers, and took her hand in his. He guided her to the table. She sat down and he took his place across from her. She admired him over the candlelight, shocked that this had happened. She honestly believed they were over. She didn't think they had a chance. But he always managed to surprise her. She was so happy and in love with this man that it took all over her strength not to jump across the table and into his arms.

His eyes were dark and intense as he stared at her. Without saying a word, he slowly lifted his arm and gripped the silver lid covering the platter in the center of the table. In a fluid motion, he removed the lid, revealing what was hidden beneath.

She smiled. "Corndogs."

He nodded and picked one up by the stick. He held it out to her.

She reached out to take it. "Thank-..." Her hand froze in mid-air as her eyes landed on what dangled from the stick: a beautiful princess cut diamond ring.

"Patrick," she whispered.

He grinned. "I considered squeezing it onto the hot dog and then battering it, but I figured you probably didn't want to remember tonight as the night you spent in the emergency room."

She laughed through her tears, as he took her left hand in his, his gaze meeting hers. "Robin Scorpio, nothing would make me happier than to call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

Robin jumped out of her seat and reached across the small table, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly knocking the candles over in the process.

He nuzzled her neck and smiled against her skin. "Is that a 'yes'?"

She pulled back and placed her hands on his cheeks, as she met his eyes. 

"Do you even have to ask?" she said with a smile, before bring her lips to his again.

When she pulled back, he removed the ring from the stick, took her hand in his and slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at the ring and then back at him. 

She smirked. "You're sure about this?"

He shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't say 100 percent sure, but, you know, definitely a solid 80 to 85 percent."

She laughed and playfully slapped his arm. She then looked around the room, admiring it.

"Did you do all of this?"

"Lucky and Liz," he replied.

Robin smiled, thanking God for blessing her with such good friends and this amazing man who loved her.

---

The next day Robin and Patrick returned to their home. They stood outside the door, as Patrick unlocked it.

He smiled at her, saying huskily, "Welcome home."

She returned his smile and walked inside, her eyes widening at what she found. All of the things she had packed and left at her Uncle Mac's were there, as if she had never left at all.

"I wanted you to come home and find things the way they used to be," he said.

She turned to Patrick, who was grinning. "How did you do this?"

"That would be Lucky and Liz again."

She smiled. "I think we owe them." 

Patrick nodded. "I'm guessing we're going to be baby-sitting those kids for the next ten years."

Robin laughed and then met his eyes. "Spending the next ten years with you sounds pretty damn good. I don't care what we're doing."

Patrick smiled, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. "What do you say we go up to our bedroom?"

Robin smiled at his use of the word _our_. "I say we better get started making up for lost time."

Patrick smiled, "And what exactly do you think we did last night...three times?" 

She laughed lightly, blushing. He raised his right hand, cupping her cheek and allowing his thumb to trail across her lower lip.

His voice emerged softly, "We have all the time in the world to make up for the time we lost."

He then took her hand in his and led the way upstairs to _their_ bedroom.

**-------------------------------------------------THE END------------------------------------------------------**  
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought! -Steph


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